In what will very likely be the most viewed women’s basketball game in decades – if not ever – the Iowa Hawkeyes will take on the South Carolina Gamecocks on Sunday in the NCAA Tournament title game.
Led by Caitlin Clark, the Hawkeyes have tasted defeat only four times this year. Clark has become a national superstar and one of the most popular athletes in any sport, breaking numerous records this year. Last night her team only narrowly defeated the UConn Huskies to advance to the national title game. After reaching the title game last year, they hope to finish the job this year.
Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks have not tasted defeat since last year’s Final Four. At 38-0 they’re just one win away from becoming just the 10th undefeated national champion in women’s basketball history. Staley is already a two-time national champion, but this title win would tie her with the great Tara VanDerveer for the fourth-most titles in NCAA history.
But lest we forget, it was Clark and these same Hawkeyes who shocked the world and knocked off Staley’s then-unbeaten Gamecocks in the Final Four last year.
ESPN’s computer model has released its prediction for the game.
ESPN’s computer model believes that South Carolina has this game on lock. The computer model gives the Gamecocks a 73.3-percent chance to win this Sunday’s game.
One way or another, history is being made tomorrow. Either Caitlin Clark goes out as a champion, or Dawn Staley finally enters that upper echelon of college coaching greatness.
The game will be played at 3 p.m. ET on ABC.